“Should I stay or should I go?”

It’s a question many of us ask ourselves when it comes to the world of work. 

Whether it’s moving to a role with better opportunities for progression or making a complete career change, there is a lot of excitement that can come from leaving a job where you are unhappy and finally embarking on something new.

But the possibility of doing this also means facing new challenges and risks. This fear often results in people staying in a job longer than they should, and in an economy where job insecurity is high along with the cost of living, the idea of leaving any permanent form of employment is enough to keep people in positions they probably should’ve left a long time ago.

If you ever wondered how to describe this tricky space, a workplace trend has defined it perfectly – and it’s called ‘resenteeism’.

Coined by staff management software provider, RotaCloud, resenteeism is described as when an employee stays in a job where they’re fundamentally unhappy due to concerns about job security or a lack of better options. It presents a slippery slope, resulting in employees not only deprioritising their job but actively resenting it and feeling disengaged and unhappy at work.

“There are several contributing factors towards the rise of resenteeism, including the January work blues and piling financial pressures amid the persistent cost of living crisis,” says Paula Allen, global leader and senior vice-president of research and total wellbeing at TELUS Health.

“But most notably, resenteeism comes in the wake of The Great Resignation.”

Allen says that the pandemic resulted in seismic shifts in how people viewed their work, with many people re-evaluating their work, priorities and what they want to do.

Ultimately, it led to employees leaving the workforce in droves – what we now know as The Great Resignation.

“Employees need to have a sense of accomplishment,” says Allen, “and the sense of accomplishment supports mental wellbeing. Layered with a cost of living crisis leaving some employees struggling to make ends meet and too worried to move jobs, the rise in resenteeism shouldn’t come as a surprise.”

According to Indeed’s Work Happiness Score study, which surveyed more than 1,800 organisations in the United Kingdom across 25 different industries, one-third of workers report being unhappy with their work. This shows just how job satisfaction continues to dwindle – and there are some clear signs on display when someone is experiencing resenteesim.

“Some of the signs of resenteeism include decreased productivity and standard of work taking a dip along with being less emotionally invested in a job and having a reduced enthusiasm at work,” says Allen.

She adds that other signs of resenteesim include not engaging in office culture, quality of work declining and a reduced interest in going above to secure a strong position in the company.

Dealing with resenteeism is a difficult place to be in, especially when the prospect of moving onto something new is rooted in fear.

“If an employee feels resentment towards their job but is fearful of stepping into something new, then they should try to pinpoint the reason or reasons why,” advises Allen.

“Doing so is important to gain perspective and facilitate problem-solving. If there is something that can be changed at work, then speaking up and proposing that successfully can bring back a sense of control and reduce the issues.

“Even when the solution does not actually get implemented as proposed, it starts a helpful dialogue.”

Allen suggests that people dealing with reenteeism should also look into other aspects of their life.

“Consider it a balanced diet for your brain. People need a variety of experiences each day, not just work and time worrying about work. There needs to be distinct boundaries between work and personal life – something that did become increasingly blurred during the pandemic where the majority of employees worked from home.”

And while those dealing with resenteeism may need to reflect on why they’re feeling this way, it’s important for employers to check in and ensure their employees don’t get to that stage in their roles.

“The first thing for a manager to do when they notice a change in an employee’s behaviour change is to have a conversation,” says Allen.

“The most important thing is that employers show that they are concerned because they want the best for the employee.” 

Image: Getty